


2012 - 2015 drabbles (exo)

by rldforyou (orphan_account)



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-29
Updated: 2017-12-29
Packaged: 2019-02-23 10:40:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13188363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/rldforyou
Summary: hot mess of drabbles i wrote between 2012 to 2015.





	1. smoke ring for his halo (kaibaek)

Humid air. Poisonous air. Rough gravel. Crunchy gravel. Cold night. Misty Night.

Just another night.

Wandering here and there, along the foreboding alleys, and the even less welcoming lights of lively shop houses. They are quaint. They speak of happiness. They smell of home. Or how Baekhyun thinks home should smell.

Nothing that will accommodate Baekhyun. Anything but him.

He trudges back. Along the familiar but yet horribly stranger streets. House of twenty two years but yet home of zilch. How, he doesn’t know. Maybe when the same woman who borne him, abandoned him the next day after. Since then it is just two equally silent males, living under the roof, but in entirely different worlds.

Just another house. 

But yet. By the sidewalk.

A new but not unfamiliar addition. A strange one. A man, right under the moon over the house.

“Kai. Yours?”

“Baekhyun.”

Roll-up in hand, smoke swirls out of mouth and nose, adding to the mist of the night. Swigs from the beer can in a huge palm. He lies down, on the pavement.

Baekhyun follows.

Plucks the roll-up off the other’s plush mouth, and inhales. Trades the fag for the beer, and chugs it down, a droplet clinging on the edge of his soft mouth. Repeat. Not too bad for his firsts 

A deep chuckle. Amusement.

“You looked like you needed it.” A pause. “Smoke ring for my halo, ain’t it.”

“Maybe.” Baekhyun snorts.

A bump of shoulders. “You can be mine too.”

“Sappy.”

“Angels are sappy.”

A glance to his right. Holey clothes, matted hair, but with a smile impossibly cheery. Deep mysterious eyes, though bright with a strange light, twinkle. Tall proud nose crinkles slightly at Baekhyun’s assessment.

Obnoxious. Obnoxious angel.

The mist gathers, the smoke spirals. Smoke ring for his halo. The fog thickens.

Baekhyun blinks, and the tall male is gone. The smoke has long spiraled gone.

_C’ya tomorrow._

Smoke ring for his halo. Equally dissipative as his being. Angel. Demon. Human. Who knows.

A whisper. “Bye Kai. Bye… Jongin.”

Just another night.


	2. beautiful stranger (krisoo)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> inspired by f(x)'s beautiful stranger

_It’s just another story, I fell in love with a foreigner_  
_Yeah and it’s all about me, how can I make you understand me?_  
_That black shadow far away,_  
_if I can meet you, I will run thousands of kilometers_  
_Haha the gunshot in my heart goes bang_  
_Let’s go, there is a race right now toward you_

  
-x-

  
Kyungsoo first met him on his first day, when he was still a fresh trainee in the company. He fumbled with the straps of his backpack agitatedly, and was about to pass through the glass doors, when he caught a casted shadow in his peripherals.  
  
Kyungsoo backtracked a little, and he could see a figure then, at a corner. An absurdly tall male was lounging against the white wall, and wedged in the gaps between his fingers was a lit cigarette. The male had his eyes closed, and seemed to be barely moving, save for bringing the rollup to his mouth, and the subsequent exhale of smoke. He did not seem to have noticed Kyungsoo’s presence, as Kyungsoo continued observing him. The tall stranger has a tattoo of a scorpion on his arm and coupled with the wisps of smoke tendrils, there is an untouchable air to the male.  
  
But then, the stranger abruptly stopped puffling, the eyelids fluttered open, and bore right into Kyungsoo. Those intense eyes, framed with thick brows, were penetrating and demanding, but Kyungsoo merely stared back, and after a pregnant pause, Kyungsoo wordlessly turned onto his back, rounded the corner, and entered the building.  
  
It was his first day, and he needed no more trouble compounding on his already frazzled nerves.

 

-x-

  
_The kid called Curiosity is next to me_  
_It calls me and follows me around form morning to night_  
_The detachment of dreams and reality resemble you_  
_It doesn’t matter, tell me everything, I’m ready_  
_A strange person, a strange us, I want to get to know you, deep into that mask_  
_No matter how heavy the door is_  
_I’ll keep it open so that we can talk a little more_

  
-x-

 

Kyungsoo soon learnt that the stranger he saw on his first day, was a fellow trainee called Wu Yifan. Yifan was Chinese, and judging from the whispers amongst other trainees, Kyungsoo gleaned a lot more insights than he asked for. For one, Yifan was apparently born in Canada, studied in China, and hence understands and speaks English and Mandarin. That did not quite explain why he also apparently knows Cantonese, as Kyungsoo thought only Hong Kongers speak it. But there was not actually any way for Kyungsoo to clarify his thoughts, for he learnt that the Chinese trainees, including Yifan, generally keep to themselves. The language and cultural barriers are not something that can be broken down easily.  
  
But ever since the impasse at the alley, Kyungsoo would have thought that there would be some kind of conflict that would ensue, in which he imagined Yifan to pick a fight up with him in one of the unused studios because of hierarchical and respect issues or whatnot. The tall Chinese sure looks like the type to fight, and fight well. Heck, many would piss their pants at Yifan’s intimidating looks even before the real fight starts, and as far as Kyungsoo is concerned, that is already half the battle won.

But Kyungsoo, with his small stature and delicate looks, was made awfully conscious of this fact since his childhood, and so he protected himself from any potential bullies with deadpan expressions. His unblinking eyes were always steadfast, and it helped a lot, even when he could be flustered as fuck inside.  _Even if you don’t know anything, as long as you are confident, you will still get away with any shit. You can come up here in my place, spout crap, and people would still believe you. That’s the power of facades, class, never forget that._  His Geography teacher had once let on the class to this survival tip. That teacher was cool, and Kyungsoo liked him. Too bad he was let go a few semesters later, for reasons unknown. No one ever knew why.  
  
But truth to be told, Kyungsoo was once told that he is suited for entertainment, not just because of his vocal talent, but also for his sheer ability to keep his true emotions in check. Kyungsoo supposed it’s a honed ability.  
  
But that didn’t matter, because somehow, Yifan gets under his skin. Even though Yifan had not done anything to him, Kyungsoo was deeply aware of the fact that whenever they were in the same area, the Chinese trainee would have his eyes on him, and did not even have the decency to be embarrassed and look away when Kyungsoo caught him staring. In fact, they would have a stare down again; it was like they were in their own bubble, and nothing else stood out to them, other than each other.

Most often than not, Kyungsoo would look away first, the intensity of the cryptic eye lock proving too much even for him, and just before he dropped his gaze, Kyungsoo would see an inscrutable smile gracing the corner of Yifan’s lips. The smile held of something that Kyungsoo did not yet quite grasp, and it nagged at him. If there is a physical embodiment of what those smiles were, Kyungsoo would describe them as the herbal tea that his mother brews for Kyungsoo whenever he has the coughs: bitter when first ingested, but with a barely-there, tangy sweet aftertaste.  
  
The whole thing confused Kyungsoo, who was not quite sure he is ready to find out what those looks and smiles meant. But yet, there was no quite denying that there burned in Kyungsoo an alive curiosity, which was fuelled with each glance and smile.  
  
With Yifan’s enigma, Kyungsoo would perhaps hazard a guess that depite their physical difference, maybe, they were not that much different.  
  
Everyone has masks to hold, but somehow, the pair’s facades melded into second skins.

  
-x-

  
_Beautiful stranger, an angel with a clear soul_  
_The music that reaches through the tips of my hands, that music possesses my heart_

  
-x-

  
Kyungsoo was in the recording studio, with two of the new trainees: Baekhyun and Jongdae. They were ordered to be there, something about testing and voice analysis or whatnot. The higher ups had not arrived, so it’s just the three of them, warming up their voices for what was to come. Kyungsoo sat stoically, but his mind was in a whirl. With Baekhyun’s huskily rough tones, and Jongdae’s powerfully rich belting, it was clear that the likes of their voices were in direct competition with Kyungsoo’s. Competition amongst trainees was never pretty, and Kyungsoo briefly wondered how he was to deal with it for the days to come. There was a sense of sizing up of one another at first, but the facts that Baekhyun and Jongdae were born jokesters, and that the three were all of the same age made the atmosphere less awkward, and soon they were laughing at some dance of Baekhyun, which strangely involved the fiddling of light switches, and weird duck expressions.  
  
Kyungsoo was barely suppressing his laughs when a click, and the door opened, with the higher ups, and two familiar figures: Chanyeol, the popular trainee, and Yifan. Kyungsoo’s eyes widened by a fraction, before schooling back his expression, all while a flustered Baekhyun was busy apologizing, with Jongdae letting out silent cackles. The new arrivers were bemused, save for one.  
  
Kyungsoo could felt Yifan’s eyes on him the moment he stepped through the door. It was almost as if Yifan was attuned to Kyungsoo’s presence, and it would be blatant denial if Kyungsoo did not admit that he was just as attuned. Radars for each other, almost. But that soon passed, because now Kyungsoo and Baekhyun were ushered into the soundproof room itself, and through their headphones, the vocal trainer told them that they were going to try sing a duet, just to observe their harmony. Baekhyun gave an enthusiastic nod and winked at Kyungsoo, to which Kyungsoo cracked a smile. The music started, and they let forth the first note.  
  
Kyungsoo had always been told that his voice was rich and soothing, and he appreciated the compliment, but at that moment, Kyungsoo thought he was being paid the highest compliment of all. For the normally aloof Yifan had his jaw slackened, and eyes widened at the impressive harmony that Kyungsoo and Baekhyun created. During Kyungsoo’s part, he swayed on the spot, and even closing his eyes at one point, seemingly allowing the pure tunes to course through his being. His reaction was not a solitary one though; the people in the room were nodding approvingly. Kyungsoo took a look at Baekhyun, whose eyes were crinkling happily as he sang. Riding on the general atmosphere, Kyungsoo ended the song with a long confident note, and everyone clapped.  
  
Baekhyun snaked an arm over Kyungsoo’s nape, “Well, we make a great pair!” Kyungsoo responded with a huge, genuine smile this time, as the other just poked his cheeks, enthusing over his cuteness. Kyungsoo huffed in mock annoyance, which stopped and bloomed into a blush, when he exited the room, and found Yifan staring more intensely at him than ever before. Kyungsoo thought he saw a flicker of wonder in those dark pools too.  
  
Jongdae and Chanyeol were then ushered in, Chanyeol to be the accompanying rap to Jongdae’s vocals. Kyungsoo watched in fascination and beside him was Baekhyun, and Kyungsoo could tell that he was impressed too, as Baekhyun bounced along to the music, and mouthed the lyrics. Jongdae and Chanyeol sound like a dream, that much was clear. Kyungsoo haven’t heard Chanyeol rap often, but the low timbre of his voice sends tingles up his spine, and when coupled with the strength of Jongdae’s voice, provided a great auditory experience.  
  
So engrossed was Kyungsoo in watching them that he did not feel another presence next to him, until a hesitant tap on his shoulder. Kyungsoo turned, and saw Yifan standing awkwardly. He cleared his throat at Kyungsoo’s questioning look, and mumbled, “We are up next. Like Chanyeol and the new kid.” Kyungsoo nodded, and Yifan passed him the scores.  
  
Chanyeol and Jongdae exited the room, and Kyungsoo was now back in, but with Yifan. The air was unlike that when with Baekhyun; there was a palpable sense of uncertainty, but as Yifan looked over and his lips curled, Kyungsoo exhaled, relaxing a little. The melody started, and Yifan raps. Kyungsoo provides adlibs.  
  
Yifan’s shoulders lost their tension, his gestures became wider, the air became more accommodating and as he rapped, his eyes met Kyungsoo’s. Kyungsoo almost fumbled over his parts, but he did not, but rather, Kyungsoo closed his eyes, and committed the twinkle of Yifan’s eyes to memory.  
  
The harmony wasn’t perfect, but it was one that he would never forget. And Kyungsoo guessed it is for Yifan too, if the softening of his demeanor was anything to go by.

-x-

  
_Hey there, don't Be shy, talk to me_  
_Look into my eyes, beautiful stranger_  
_Don’t hesitate, hold my hand, take me, beautiful stranger_  
_You know that I’m different than them, look at my eyes, beautiful stranger_  
_Just like this, just like right now, it’s not strange, no_

 

-x-

 

It was not long after the session that Kyungsoo, of his own accord, sat down beside Yifan after one of their grueling dance practices. The company had started grouping them together for dance practices, and Kyungsoo’s heart gave a weird clench when he knew that Yifan would be in the same group as him. He had no idea why, but perhaps his curiosity of the Chinese trainee went deeper than he cared to admit. Dance practices were always long, and it gave Kyungsoo more time with Yifan. They were of course, never alone, but with their eyes trained on each other so often, it was as if they were.  
  
Kyungsoo has long abandoned the question of why Yifan stared at him so much. On his part, it was inexplicable why he spared Yifan so much attention too. What he did want to know though, was more about the Chinese trainee. He seemed like the quiet, silent type with perhaps a slight menacing air because of his thick brows and piercing eyes, but Kyungsoo had once, by chance, found out that those eyes were capable of mirth. Yifan and the other fellow Chinese trainees were huddled in a corner, speaking in rapid-fire Mandarin, when one of them had cracked a joke. Yifan’s eyes widened and twinkled with his mouth revealing a gummy smile and low rumbles of laughter.  
  
Kyungsoo quite liked the sound, and he committed that scene to memory.  
  
It was a particularly long day, with their learning a new choreography. Kyungsoo had long observed that Yifan was not quite the dancer, though said guy has the groove, but the moves were sometimes clumsy. It was a weakness Yifan was apparently well aware of, if the extra dance practice he had in addition to their normal ones, were of any indication. Kyungsoo had actually intended to go home, but seeing Yifan alone, dancing against the blue-sky background had Kyungsoo fetching some energy drinks from the vending machine, and when Yifan stopped and sat against the wall, panting, Kyungsoo slipped into the room.  
  
Yifan’s brows raised, and Kyungsoo merely held out the grape-flavoured drink in response. Uncertainty flickered, and Kyungsoo just dropped the drink on the other male’s lap. Wordlessly, Kyungsoo sat down beside Yifan, popped his own can, and drank.  
  
No words were exchanged, the silence punctuated only by the chugging of drinks, and Yifan’s still-heavy breaths. Kyungsoo eyed the male beside him, and thought that despite his current sweaty state, there still remained a dignified air around him. Kyungsoo thought of when they first met, he would have never thought them like now, sitting down beside each other, sharing a companionable silence as they chugged on their drinks.  
  
“You could work more on your angles and your punch, I suppose.” Kyungsoo blurted out suddenly, and then internally cringed at how that sounded. It was the first time he ever spoke to Yifan, and the words were not exactly positive.  
  
“I mean, you have a nice groove and all, but it doesn’t quite translate into the dance moves, I don’t know, I just-“  
  
Yifan let out an amused laugh, effectively cutting Kyungsoo off.  
  
“I would have never pegged you down as someone who fumbles with his words.” Yifan’s Korean was slurred and stilted all at the same time, but Kyungsoo understood all the same. He even brought his hand up to fondle Kyungsoo’s hair, and Kyungsoo was sure he looked like a deer in headlights then, not having expected the friendly and weirdly intimate gesture. It was not as if they were… friends. Or anything, to be honest. This was their first conversation ever, and Yifan was fondling him like a pet. Not that Kyungsoo minded though… The sensation of long fingers combing through his hair was oddly relaxing. But Kyungsoo was not that distracted, Yifan’s remark having piqued his curiosity.  
  
“So what did you have me pegged as?”  
  
Yifan stopped his petting motion abruptly, and removed his hand from Kyungsoo’s head. He cleared his throat, and looked straight ahead, staring into space. Awkwardness was radiating off Yifan, but Kyungsoo did not let up, prodding Yifan’s shoulder with his energy drink. Yifan cleared his throat again, and Kyungsoo waited.  
  
“I don’t know. Someone who wouldn’t bother with me, with us?”  
  
Kyungsoo opened his mouth, but Yifan was quicker, “Us as in Chinese trainees. We are not exactly welcome here. The language barrier certainly does not help.”  
  
Kyungsoo contemplated Yifan’s words, brows automatically knotting, but Yifan hastily continued, “At first I thought it was disdain that you had. When you first caught me smoking. But then after a while, I realized that was not it. It was something else, after so many times when I see you staring too. Almost like curiosity. And then I saw you sing, and the looks you gave when we did the test harmonization thing, there was pure joy. I don’t think you would have been that free with your emotions if you despised me. And maybe that was when I realized – I know – that you are different.”  
  
Kyungsoo let the words roll over him, before letting a smile of his own.  
  
“For someone with such badass tattoos and piercings, you sure are a sentimental person.” Kyungsoo teased, and laughed a little when Yifan spluttered, and Kyungsoo added that memory to his stash. The image of Yifan’s eyes widened comically, jaw agape, and just the whole face screaming indignation.  
  
Kyungsoo stood up, and offered a hand to Yifan, “Come on,  _hyung_ , let’s polish up on your moves, shall we?”  
  
Yifan eyed Kyungsoo’s small outreached hand hesitantly, and he let out a shy smile before grasping the hand. It must have been a strange sight, with Kyungsoo’s small stature, hauling the much bigger Yifan up, but nothing felt more right then.  
  
"You can call me  _Ge_  too."  
  
They spent another hour in there, practicing together.  


-x-

 

_Beautiful stranger, you are mysterious to them  
They’re scared of you because they can’t understand, so they just push you away, no_

 

-x-

Kyungsoo has resided in Korea for the entirety of his life, and there is no denying that South Korea is still a conservative society. Racism was still prevalent, and even within the company, there was a hierarchy amongst the trainees. There was never outright racism, but the general atmosphere was not one that is inclusive of the foreigners. Sometimes Kyungsoo felt that there is merely tolerance, not acceptance.  
  
Kyungsoo had long learnt that it was fear, not hatred that caused such prejudice. Fear of the unknown, of what the Chinese were capable of, of the talents they have to show, and of how the Chinese might surpass them. The Chinese trainees were an enigma, and many didn’t bother to find out more. The natural defense was to repel.  
  
Once, Kyungsoo had spotted a few trainees gossiping about the Chinese, with many unkind words and derogatory rumours, especially about Kris and his tattoos, and how it was supposed to be an underground gang’s symbol. Incidentally, Yifan and another fellow Chinese trainee, Zitao, had passed by, and the gossiping trainees had immediately fled. And even though Kyungsoo could not quite claim that he knew Yifan well, the look on the latter’s face was obviously one of quiet resignation, and Kyungsoo hated that look, because of the sheer amount of times such things must have happened for initial outrage to evolve into such defeat.  
  
That was the first expression of Yifan’s that Kyungsoo did not commit to memory.  
  
(Kyungsoo joined Yifan for lunch later, patting him on the arm, and murmuring words of comfort, because  _they don’t understand, they don’t know you, but Kyungsoo does. Hyung knows that, right?_  
  
Yifan smiled his most blinding smile yet, and patted Kyungsoo on the head.)

 

-x-

  
_The stories in the deep silences_  
_You came from a different image, a different world_  
_When you look at me as you extend your long hands_  
_Take me to the place where you are_

 

-x-

 

It took Kyungsoo a while to realize that perhaps, just perhaps, he has fallen for a certain tall Chinese guy. No one had ever made Kyungsoo feel this way; how whenever Yifan is in the vicinity, Kyungsoo’s heart thumps so hard till he could practically hear the blood rushing, how Yifan’s smiles for Kyungsoo increase in frequency, how only Yifan can make Kyungsoo lose the tension in his limbs with his various clumsy antics, and how Kyungsoo’s badly drawn portrait by Yifan now clinches a place amongst of Kyungsoo’s most prized possessions.  
  
It fazes Kyungsoo a bit, to know that when he is around Yifan, he does things that he would not have normally done. The first let up was his staring at Yifan, the second when he allowed himself to be carried away by the lure of the harmony they created in the recording studio, the third when he offered the drinks to Yifan in the practice room, and the many instances after that, which Kyungsoo can no longer keep count. The old Kyungsoo would have never acted this way; he is always cautious not to let others see him unguarded, because weaknesses are not tolerated well. But with Yifan, and only him, there are simply too many departures of Kyungsoo’s norms. Is this how love is like?  
  
Kyungsoo wasn’t sure, but when they were finally told of the news to debut as a group, with ten other males, did Kyungsoo then realize. Yifan had extended his arms, and an automatic response; he leapt into the former’s embrace. Yifan lifted Kyungsoo off the ground, held onto him tightly, and without others’ knowledge, he had pressed a chaste kiss onto the crook of Kyungsoo’s neck, and whispered, “We made it, Kyungsoo.” Kyungsoo was pretty sure his heart skipped a beat, and his face was flushed red from the intimacy that Yifan’s gesture and voice held. The press of their bodies allowed Kyungsoo to lean his entire weight on Yifan, and he closed his eyes contently. But Yifan had then detached just as quickly as he had hugged Kyungsoo, and even though he was disappointed at the loss, Kyungsoo did not fail to note a faint dusting of pink on Yifan’s cheeks too.  
  
Kyungsoo committed the image of a blushing Yifan to memory.  
  
They were quickly swept into a group hug then, with the boisterous Chanyeol and Baekhyun at his sides, circling his waist. Kyungsoo reciprocated, and it was then he realized with a jolt: he now has a second family of 11 more brothers. He could feel his eyes prick at the moment, and he looked at Yifan. Yifan’s own eyes were slightly red, but those orbs held promise, and Kyungsoo was glad. It was the start of the unknown, but somehow, knowing that Yifan was there with him, it made Kyungsoo feel infinitely more hopeful.  
  
That night, Kyungsoo had found Yifan on the roof, and without warning, Kyungsoo returns the favour from a few hours ago; but instead of the neck, Kyungsoo pressed his lips against Yifan’s for a chaste kiss. Yifan froze for a moment, but relaxed. Kyungsoo could feel him smile against him, before Yifan took the lead by cupping Kyungsoo’s jaw and deepening the kiss.

  
-x-

  
_You came as a colorless light from far away, with a different look from a different world_  
_No matter where that is, I’m ready, take me to the place where you are_

  
-x-

  
  
Kyungsoo thinks that it’s lucky that he entered SM. He gets to live his dream, and meet his love. They may not last forever, who knows, but nonetheless, Kyungsoo is happy, and extremely thankful that he ever met Yifan. Yifan may not be perfect, but neither is Kyungsoo, and with Yifan, Kyungsoo feels different, and wherever Yifan is, Kyungsoo would be sure to follow.

 

**Author's Note:**

> probably the happiest and most troubled i've ever been, and writing was my outlet. it's not much, just,,, something i guess.


End file.
